DIGESTIVE SYSTEMJosie, Malachi, Jamey, Sadie

MAJOR ORGANS

• Mouth

• Esophagus

• Stomach

• Small Intestine

• Large Intestine

FUNCTION• The digestive system works to break down food into

chemical energy, this is known as digestion.

• Mouth – chews the food and begins breaking it into smaller pieces

• Esophagus – long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Food travels down the esophagus to the stomach

• Stomach – stores food and continues to break down food in to chemical energy. The stomach works like a blender to break down the food into energy.

• Intestines – squish food through the tubes and store more energy from the food. Once the intestines have soaked up all of the energy, the rest of the waste exits the body as feces.

PROBLEMS AND DISEASES

• Tracheoesophageal fistula is a connection between the esophagus and the trachea (windpipe) where there shouldn't be one. In babies with esophageal atresia, the esophagus comes to a dead end instead of connecting to the stomach. Both conditions are usually detected soon after a baby is born — sometimes even before — and require surgery to repair.

• Esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) can be caused by infection, certain medications, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). With GERD, the esophageal sphincter (the valve that connects the esophagus with the stomach) doesn't work well and allows the acidic contents of the stomach to move backward up into the esophagus. GERD often can be corrected through lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments. Sometimes, though, it requires treatment with medication.

• Gastrointestinal infections can be caused by viruses, by bacteria (such as Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, or E. coli), or by intestinal parasites (such as amebiasis and giardiasis). Abdominal pain or cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting are the common symptoms of gastrointestinal infections. These usually go away on their own without medicines or other treatment.

• Appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix, most often affects kids and teens between 11 and 20 years old, and requires surgery to correct. The classic symptoms of appendicitis are abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, and vomiting.

• Gastritis and peptic ulcers arise when a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, or the chronic use of drugs or certain medications weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach and duodenum, allowing acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. This can irritate and inflame the lining of the stomach (gastritis) or cause peptic ulcers, which are sores or holes in the lining of the stomach or the duodenum that cause pain or bleeding. Medications usually successfully treat these conditions.

WHY IS THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM SO IMPORTANT?

• If it weren’t for the digestive system, the body would not get energy. Also, our food would build up in our bodies and would not break down. It would poison us. If our body couldn’t get energy, we would not be able to work and do fun things every day. We would die without energy.

KEEPING YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM HEALTHY

• Eating a healthy diet is the best way to prevent common digestive problems.•Drink lots of water• Exercise

BIBLIOGRAPHY

•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnzwbipJuAA - Josie

•http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/digestive.html - Malichi

http://www.factmonster.com/dk/science/encyclopedia/digestive-system.html - Jamey

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/systems_digestive.html - Sadie